Contaminants of Emerging Environmental Concern

Description

A new category of environmental contaminants is capturing the attention of citizens, scientists, and regulators: anthropogenic chemicals. These contaminants are predominantly unregulated and human-made. They occur in air, soil, water, food, and human and animal tissues in trace concentrations. Not only do these chemical compounds persist in the environment, they are also capable of altering the physiology of target receptors. This report considers specific pollutants, including: pharmaceutical, personal care products, antimicrobials and antibiotics, hormones, plasticizers, surfactants, fire retardants, pesticides, and nanoparticles. In addition, this book summarizes the analytical methods used for separation and quantification of emerging contaminants and describes molecular biology approaches to identify organisms capable of degrading these chemicals. This book contains extensive illustrations and tables with current references. It is a must-have for both undergraduate and graduate students in environmental engineering and resources; teachers; researchers; and practicing environmental engineers. Content: Front Matter • Preface • Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Analytical Methods for Environmental Samples 3. Pharmaceuticals 4. Personal Care Products 5. Antimicrobials and Antibiotics 6. Hormones 7. Phthalate Plasticizers and Degradation Products 8. Surfactants 9. Brominated Fire Retardants 10. Pesticides 11. Nanoparticles 12. Molecular Biology Techniques for CoEEC Degrading Organisms • Editor Biographies Index